Viktor Hovland stated he fully understands why Jon Rahm signed with the LIV Golf League, however the world’s No. 4-ranked participant would not plan to be the following marquee participant to bolt to the Saudi-backed league.
In an look on the “Fore” podcast in Norway, Hovland stated he doubts he would transfer to LIV Golf, largely due to the league’s no-cut format. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the large sum of cash Rahm signed for — reported to be greater than $550 million together with contract and signing bonuses — whereas taking intention on the “conceitedness” of the PGA Tour’s management.
“It could be a bit too foolish to criticize the gamers for leaving. In spite of everything, you solely hear one angle within the media, and there are fairly a number of completely different components occurring on the identical time right here,” Hovland stated in Norwegian as translated by Eurosport Norway, per Golfweek. “I completely perceive why he left. That is so much, some huge cash.”
Hovland’s star standing has taken off in 2023, highlighted by successful the FedEx Cup title in August and the $18 million bonus that got here with it. He additionally received the Memorial and the second leg of the playoffs on the BMW Championship, and he tied for second at each the PGA Championship and the DP World Tour Championship.
It has been an immensely rewarding yr for Hovland on the course, however his earnings can be dwarfed by a possible provide from LIV Golf. Hovland, 26, asserted that the format nonetheless doesn’t attraction to him.
“I do not suppose their product is that nice. I am not such a fan of, for instance, taking part in with no lower,” Hovland stated. “You want the competitors with 150 gamers and a lower. In the event you do not play effectively sufficient, you are out. There’s something about it that makes your sport somewhat sharper. If I had gone to LIV, I do not suppose I’d have turn out to be a greater golfer. After which it’s, in a approach, finish of dialogue.”
Hovland has dedicated to the season-opening The Sentry in Maui, which is a no-cut occasion, together with the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am, the WM Phoenix Open and the Genesis Invitational.
Rahm had equally sturdy objections to LIV Golf’s format earlier than he signed with the league. He has been suspended from the PGA Tour, stopping the Spanish golfer from taking part in in The Sentry forward of LIV Golf’s first occasion of 2024.
Hovland was additionally the newest to offer a blunt criticism of the PGA Tour’s decision-makers.
There’s a Dec. 31 deadline for the tour to finalize a take care of the Public Funding Fund. The framework settlement that additionally consists of the DP World Tour was introduced in June, to the shock of the tour’s members who weren’t concerned within the closed-door discussions.
The secrecy of these talks generated vital anger from many gamers.
“The administration has not accomplished a superb job. They virtually see the gamers as labor, and never as a part of the members. In spite of everything, we’re the PGA Tour. With out the gamers, there may be nothing,” he stated. “Whenever you then get to see what occurs behind closed doorways, how the administration truly makes selections, which aren’t within the gamers’ finest curiosity, however finest for themselves and what they suppose is finest.
“They aren’t skilled golfers in spite of everything. They’re businessmen who say that ‘No, it ought to seem like this and that.’ There may be quite a lot of conceitedness behind all of it.”
Tiger Woods has since joined the coverage board and is closely concerned within the ongoing discussions because the tour seeks funding for a brand new for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises. ESPN reported that greater than $3 billion can be injected by Strategic Sports activities Group, a consortium of billionaire U.S. sports activities workforce house owners, into the brand new entity.
Trending Merchandise
